The present application relates generally to sealing devices and associated tooling and, more particularly, to heat sealers and interchangeable tooling therefor and means for aligning the interchangeable tooling in the heat sealer.
Sealers, such as heat sealers, are well known in the art for sealing various product packaging, such as medical trays, blister packages, clamshells and the like. Such product packaging typically includes a base and a lid, wherein the base receives the product to be packaged and the lid is sealed to the base to secure the product therein. The lid and the base may be formed as a single piece of packaging material or as separate components.
In a traditional heat sealing process, the base of the product packaging is positioned in a support structure having appropriate tooling, the product is then positioned in the base, the lid is positioned over the base, and the support structure is positioned for engagement by a heated platen. The heated platen is advanced into engagement with the support structure to simultaneously apply heat and pressure to the base and the lid to seal the lid to the base, thereby forming the final sealed package.
The tooling used to receive the packaging base during sealing is typically selected based upon the size and shape of the product being packaged. Therefore, when selecting and positioning appropriate tooling in a sealing device, proper alignment between the tooling and the heated platen is necessary to achieve appropriate sealing results.
Accordingly, there is a need for a heat sealer having interchangeable tooling, wherein the tooling is properly aligned with the heated platen when positioned in the heat sealer. Furthermore, there is a need for heat sealer tooling adapted to be used in various heat sealers without presenting the problem of misalignment between the tooling and the heated platen. Still furthermore, there is a need for a heat sealer having interchangeable tooling and means for properly aligning the interchangeable tooling in the heat sealer.